Dr. Juan Jose Gonzalez-España joined Timbergrove
Solutions, an innovative, American-based creative technology studio and
consulting firm, as an Embedded Systems Engineer in May 2024. With over 16
years of experience in embedded systems, he has co-authored 25 peer-reviewed
publications and holds two patents. Fluent in both English and Spanish, he has
a proven track record as a solutions integrator, with numerous significant
accomplishments. During his research at the University of Houston, Dr.
Gonzalez-España co-developed the NeuroExo headset, the first at-home
brain–computer interface (BCI) designed for stroke rehabilitation. As
Co-Principal Investigator at Universidad Nacional de Colombia, he led a
research project on developing software and hardware for ultrasonic sensors to
detect bond failures in automotive assembly lines. He also co-developed
TEAC2H-RI, an educational robotic platform aimed at enhancing technology-based
learning in developing countries. His current research involves the design,
development, and validation of low-cost wearable technologies for Internet of
Things (IoT) applications. Dr. Gonzalez-España holds a PhD in Electrical Engineering from the University of Houston, an MSc in Electrical and
Computer Engineering from Rice University, an MSc in Computer Science from
Universidad Nacional de Colombia, and a B.S. in Electronic Engineering from
Universidad de San Buenaventura.
Jeff Feng teaches industrial design at the University of Houston. Before teaching at the University of Houston, Professor Feng was in design practice for over 15 years developing new products in the healthcare, consumer electronics, and product packaging industries. He worked as the design director at Metaphase Design Group for seven years and took a leading role in design thinking, creative problem solving, and project management. He led the design team to win many design awards and recognitions, most notably IDEA, the Medical Design Excellence Award, and the ID magazine award. His work has been published in ID magazine, Metropolis magazine, and Medical Design and Appliance Design magazine. He provides product development services to Fortune 500 corporations, such as Johnson & Johnson, P&G, Medtronic, Bayer, LG, Caterpillar, and Deere, and holds over 40 US and international design and utility patents.
Dr. Shuo-Hsiu Chang is a physical
therapist from Taiwan and serves as an Associate Professor at the Department of
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at UTHealth Houston. He received his MS
and PhD degrees in Human Movement Science, specializing in motor control and
learning, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His research
focuses on neuromuscular plasticity and underlying mechanisms and the
involvement of cortical and spinal circuitry in dynamic balance control,
especially in maintaining balance or regaining balance from unexpected
perturbation.
Dr. Gerard Francisco, MD, is a member of the U.S. National Academy of Medicine (NAM) and the Chief Medical Officer at TIRR Memorial Hermann and Professor and Chairman of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston (UTHealth).Dr. Francisco is chairman and clinical professor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) at the University of Texas Medical School in Houston and adjunct professor at the Baylor College of Medicine. He received his medical degree from the University of the Philippines and completed his internship at Michael Reese Hospital in Chicago. His residency in PM&R was at the University of Medicine and Dentistry, New Jersey Medical School, where he was chief resident. Dr. Francisco completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Brain Injury Rehabilitation at the Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Francisco was named Distinguished Educator Professor by the University of Texas Medical School in Houston at the "Academy of Master Educators" in 2012 and inducted as a member of the University of Texas Academy of Health Science Education (2013). Dr. Francisco was elected to "Best Doctors in America" for 2007-2008 by his peers. From 2001-2012, he has been listed in "Best Doctors in America" by U.S. World and News Report. In 2013, he was nominated by his peers to Houstonia Magazine's list of Top Doctors.
Dr. Jose L Contreras-Vidal is a Fellow of the IEEE and the AIMBE for his contributions to brain–machine interfaces, wearable exoskeletons, and mapping art-evoked brain activity. He is also a Cullen
Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Director of
the NSF Industry–University Collaborative Research Center on Building Reliable
Advances and Innovations in Neurotechnologies (IUCRC BRAIN) at the University
of Houston, and the Principal Investigator for this NSF PFI Project. He earned
his M.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Colorado Boulder and
his Ph.D. in Cognitive and Neural Systems from Boston University. He was a Postdoctoral
Fellow in Computational Motor Neuroscience at Arizona State University and
a Human Frontiers Science Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Fribourg
(Fribourg, Switzerland). His research interests are neural engineering, neurohumanities,
powered exoskeletons, brain–machine interfaces, neuromodulation, computational
neuroscience, etc. He is a member of the National Advisory Board for Medical Rehabilitation Research at the U.S. National Institutes of Health and a member of the IEEE BRAIN Steering Committee.
